Abstract: The present disclosure provides embodiments for improved monitoring of building environments for building automation based on environment inferences and various aspects associated therewith. A method can include receiving, via a standalone sensing device positioned in a monitored building environment, real-time environmental sensor data. The method can include generating, for the monitored building environment and based on the real-time environmental sensor data, an environmental building inference indicative of a state of at least one of an occupancy of the monitored building environment, an asset within the monitored building environment, or an ambience of the monitored building environment. The method can include generating, for the monitored building environment based on the environmental building inference, a prescriptive building insight.